Downriggers are widely used for trolling during deep-water sport fishing. A downrigger system typically includes a frame which rotatably supports a reel which stores and dispenses downrigger cable. A downrigger arm extends from the frame and includes a guide arrangement at its free end for guiding the cable from the downrigger reel into and out of the water.
The downrigger is used by attaching fishing line from a fishing rod and reel to a fishing line release attached to the downrigger cable. The downrigger cable and fishing line release are lowered into the water so that the fishing line and its bait or lure are carried down to the desired depth by a weight carried by the downrigger cable. The boat upon which the downrigger system is mounted is then moved through the water at trolling speeds so that the fishing line and lure trail behind the boat in the desired manner. When a fish strikes the lure, the fishing line is released from the line release attached to the downrigger cable and the fisherman then exercises his skills with the fishing rod in order to play and eventually boat the catch.
Over the years, a variety of line releases have been developed. One such line release which provides the desired release action in a reliable and adjustable fashion is illustrated in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,920 to Walker.
Frequently it is desirable to troll with a plurality of fishing lines in the water. However, it is not desirable to use a separate downrigger system for each line. Therefore, it would be beneficial to be able to stack a plurality of fishing line releases on one downrigger cable.
Stacking can be accomplished by use of the line release disclosed in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 3,925,920, but inconvenience occurs when a downrigger cable having a plurality of stacked fishing line releases is reeled in. Since these fishing line releases are rigidly connected to the downrigger cable in a stacked configuration at predetermined locations, the downrigger cable may only be reeled in up to the point where the first fishing line release is connected. This prevents the downrigger cable from being completely reeled in and causes the free end portion of the downrigger cable, including the remaining fishing line releases and the downrigger ballast or trolling weight, to remain substantially inaccessible unless each fishing line release is independently removed from the downrigger cable.
The foregoing shortcomings are obviated by the present locking and releasing mechanism for a line release which includes an arrangement for releasably securing fishing line releases to a downrigger cable at locations spaced from one another. The present mechanism provides enhanced versatility for stacking a plurality of line releases, while conveniently allowing the downrigger cable to be reeled in as desired.